Playtime is more than excitement and fun for children; it’s an opportunity to explore, to grow, and to learn. A child can discover the world around them, right from their first day, by the toys they play with. In a world so fuelled by technology, we can forget the importance of an active imagination, and why toys are vital instruments in developing the mind of your little one.

The Importance of Playtime

We are born with 100 billion brain cells and through the eyes of a newborn, everything is brand new from the vast array of colours to every small sound. From the ages of two months to two years, exposure to new experiences is vital in developing the brain through exploration and repetitive practises.

An array of toys allow your child to learn about the environment they’re in to succeeding on their own in later life. Imaginations will blossom and individual personalities can thrive, creating a confident and happy little human being.

Multi-sensory Experiences

You can build a playroom or nursery to include toys that benefit all the senses. Babies and young toddlers enjoy lights and sounds whilst older toddlers revel in their new ability to touch, climb, and run.

Developing Touch

When we are born, we see the world in 2D. To help discover a world of 3D objects, babies initially begin to use their sense of touch first to establish the shape, weight and feel of nearly every object they encounter. It has been proven that babies highly benefit from certain toys that encourage sensory play to stimulate all the senses, in particular, touch.

Building blocks are a traditional toy that helps babies and young toddlers with hand eye coordination, colour recognition, and cognitive skills. This style of toy has been proven to be effective for children that enjoy quiet problem solving whilst also helping shy children interact with others more confidently.

Developing Sound and Light

Rattles and mobiles are the perfect toys for babies and children that give endless fun but a wealth of learning opportunities too. They offer comfort and distraction during the night or when you’re not around, and have been proven to help develop eyesight and coordination as well as important cognitive skills.

Developing Empathy and Kindness

Many toys teach young children how to care for others and develop social skills. We see this in a firm toy favourites such as dolls and teddies. A cuddly toy not only has the ability to offer comfort of babies and children, but is something that they will care for throughout their life. How many of us still have a childhood toy that we loved with all our heart!

Dolls are another favourite for both boys and girls that can offer many role play skills as well as a chance to expand the imagination with make-believe games.

Developing Confidence & Responsibility

Role play toys and games are a firm favourite with children. They promote a sense of responsibility from a very young age by incorporating everyday activities such as running a shop, driving, or managing household chores. You can see this in the popularity of doll houses, toy kitchens, and job role games.

Listen to your child

It’s always so interesting to explore the science behind introverts and extroverts; what makes us tick. If your child or children are more reserved, help them come out of their shells by introducing toys that build confidence in interacting with others such as role play toys, whilst continuing to promote their cautious nature with calming toys and books that will embrace their subdued personality. On the other side of the scale, it’s also important to develop empathic skills of listening, sharing, and quiet time that perhaps more overtly confident children lack with puzzles and other quiet play toys, but their fantastic trait to be inquisitive with other children will allow you to explore imaginative play.

Playtime is an opportunity for a child to discover more about the world around them; how things function from role play to musical instruments. Every type of toy has a purpose, and is an untapped opportunity for your child to grow. The more experiences a child has, the more they will learn.

Shop our full range of wonderful toys from plush toys intricately modelled on real animals to rattles from newborns below.